24 February 2011 1:54 PM

When Toby Flood made his debut in 2006 he looked like a school boy in a Test jersey, but he has grown into the shirt and now commands England’s play with impressive ease. He is the orchestrator of the side’s new expansive style and does that by standing flat on the gain line to invite runners like Chris Ashton to hit holes off him. The forwards are now providing a platform of quick ball which brings its own momentum, too. He has an eye for a gap and an under-rated sidestep and has made 89 metres, 13 carries and four clean breaks in the Championship — more than any other fly-half.

PASSING

Standing flat on the gainline is aggressive and daring — the defenders are on to you faster and it requires crisp, precise passing and reaction speed. Flood backs his quick handling and plays high-risk, high-reward rugby, up close with defenders. England fly-halves used to stand deep in the pocket and kick away possession. Not any more. Flood relishes a mismatch, waiting for later phases in a move when the defence is disorganised and he’s up against a tight-five forward before exploiting the advantage with a well-timed pass or burst of pace.

PARTNERSHIP

His partnership with Ben Youngs has been instrumental in his development and his game has transformed since the scrum-half burst on to the scene. Like Australia’s unbreakable Gregan-Larkham axis, Youngs and Flood could become the defining half-back partnership of a generation. The fact that they are club team-mates, training day in, day out together, cannot be underestimated and they are known to stay behind after sessions at Leicester to perfect a particular pass or move. They have developed a sixth sense about the other’s game; Youngs knows where Flood will be standing before he’s even called for the ball. Yet it’s not only the scrum-half’s pin-point delivery but his running off rucks too. Youngs crabs sideways inviting Flood on an aggressive straight line. ‘I know how he runs across the pitch and tries to drag a person in so I just try to be ready to run when he goes,’ says Flood.

RUNNING GAME

England have made 17 line breaks in two games compared to the 15 they achieved in the whole of last year’s Six Nations and France’s six so far this year, the next best in the competition. Even under Sir Clive Woodward’s golden era, England never played such expansive rugby. There was a time when Jonny Wilkinson’s cross-kick was the peak of England’s creativity but Flood has made three ‘try passes’ — the offload or pass that sets up a try like the ‘assist’ in football — in his last two games because he hits a line that sucks in defenders before releasing a team-mate. His team-mates can commit to running support lines off him because they know he will attack.

DEFENCE

Flood has worked hard to match Jonny Wilkinson, not just with his kicking accuracy but on defence too. Although he will never put in the type of crowd-rousing hit with which Wilkinson pummelled Andrea Masi in the dying minutes against Italy, Flood’s tackling accuracy is up around the 87 per cent mark. Sir Clive Woodward used to demand 90 per cent from his players but given the size of the ball carriers that hit the No 10 channel in the modern game it is hardly cause for alarm. He also marshals the defensive line effectively, like Jonny Wilkinson and Will Greenwood before him, organising brick-wall centres Shontayne Hape and Mike Tindall, as well as forwards who come into the line.

KICKING

Toby Flood only kicked once from open play against Italy — an attacking chip in the 27th minute — and England have only kicked away 31 per cent of possession so far this Six Nations, the fewest of anyone. He is the only player yet to miss a penalty or conversion with 11 from 11, but the team’s tactical kicking isn’t perfect. Flood often launches a miss-pass out wide when England are deep in their 22 for Mark Cueto to hoof up-field, particularly when receiving a kick-off, but that strategy will be suicide against the French as Maxime Medard and Aurelien Rougerie are both strong in the air and masters of the counter attack.

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14 February 2011 3:37 PM

They officially have their swagger back. The fact that it took 71 minutes for the first (and only) forward to score tells its own story. Off a platform of quick ball, the backs, lead by fly-half Toby Flood, are running aggressive angles through the middle of the pitch to devastating effect - not one try was scored in a corner. England's confidence was best summed up by James Haskell forgetting his flanking duties and playing inside centre for the final 15 minutes - in which he picked up a try.

WEEK TWO MARK: A

FRANCE

Stank of complacency in an error-strewn opening 10 minutes that won't do anything to dispel the stereotype of French inconsistency. But against a sea of green they did well to recover and kick their way back into the game. Took control in the second half as the Irish forwards tired and the penalty count racked up in their favour. There wasn't much flair but a lot of bottle and who else but Maxime 'the detonator' Medard to drop a bomb on Irish Grand Slam dreams with what proved the clinching touchdown?

WEEK TWO MARK: B+

IRELAND

Luck of the Irish. Having dusted themselves off from last week's forgettable Italian job, Ireland brought an intensity back into their game. Looping back moves, executed perfectly by the Leinster midfield mob, created momentum that was badly missing and the Irish back row ruled the breakdown until the required work rate took its toll. Ronan O'Gara again came off the bench to bring composure to the team at the climax but still too many errors let them down. WEEK TWO MARK: B+

ITALY

The defence was badly exposed. Unlike Ireland, who just ran straight and hard last week, England's ever-changing running lines and off-loading game proved too complex for Italy's drift defence. Against superior opposition they were unable to dictate the pace and turn the match into the sort of arm-wrestle they love. They needed early scrums to sap the energy out of the England tight five, but the scrums never came. Sergio Parisse and Martin Castrogiovanni were oddly muted and it will be a long two weeks.

WEEK TWO MARK: C

SCOTLAND

Richie Gray was out with a stomach bug but it looked like the rest of the squad were suffering too. The handling was sloppy and the decision-making woeful. It seems unfair to pick anyone out but Euan Murray probably deserves special mention. Another terrible day of scrummaging saw him taken off - and jeered - after 46 minutes only for Moray Low to come on and transform the set-piece. With Ireland and England coming on Sundays that might be Murray's farewell for the tournament.

WEEK TWO MARK: C

WALES

Ninth time lucky. James Hook was conductor and creator at fly-half and made all the difference to a side painfully low on confidence after eight Tests without a win. The No 10 shirt is his to lose for the rest of the tournament. Jamie Roberts responded to Warren Gatland's call with a timely return to form in the centre and the defensive effort around the fringes was vastly improved but the coach will be most worried about Wales's indiscipline, with his side temporarily reduced to 13 men.

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08 February 2011 11:07 AM

One pass summed up Gallic ingenuity more than anything — Francois Trinh-Duc’s playground-style flick. It would have been painful had he got it wrong, but the fly-half executed perfectly (below), shifting the ball wide faster than the covering defenders. Imanol Harinordoquy galloped over and we had a possible try of the tournament.

SCOTLAND STRIKE IT RICHIE

He was supposed to be a rough diamond but he’s already beginning to sparkle. Richie Gray (right) was everywhere against France. He has the strength you’d expect from a 6ft 8in, 18st 12lb, 21-year-old, but his speed catches teams by surprise. His flowing blond locks and immense work rate in the loose resemble a young Schalk Burger.

BEATEN ON A TECHNICALITY

France are arguably the best scrummaging side on the planet, but nobody expected them to turn a far heavier Scottish pack into haggis. Loosehead Thomas Domingo was two stone lighter than his opposite number but it was scarcely a contest. Why? Technical superiority. There is a lot more to scrummaging than brute stength.

HE’S NO BOTTLER

He was operating without key target men Tom Croft and Courtney Lawes and with the words of Warren Gatland echoing in his head, but Dylan Hartley’s (right) line-out was faultless and scrummaging little worse. Having folded occasionally in big domestic fixtures, he erased the question mark over his temperament.

ITALY EDGING EVER CLOSER

One point and two minutes from their greatest Six Nations scalp, Italy nearly blew the championship wide open. We need them to be competitive and — fully fit — they can be. With Argentina joining the Tri-Nations after the World Cup, it is for the good of the game that the also-rans start to catch up.

FRIDAY NIGHT’S NOT ALL RIGHT

As a spectacle it takes some beating but Friday night in Cardiff created a logistical headache for travelling fans. Thirty-mile tailbacks on the M4 and supporters missing the anthems was expected, while the chartered late train home looked so old it might have run on steam. Is that farewell to Friday nights?

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07 February 2011 9:56 AM

Solid rather than spectacular but they got the job done in Cardiff and you sense Martin Johnson's character is rubbing off on his side. Grinding out results is a flashback to the Woodward era, which can't be a bad thing in a World Cup year. Occasionally too predictable with the ball and question marks hover over the back row. Italy next up is a potential banana skin or a stepping stone to France, depending on whom you ask.

WEEK ONE MARK: B+

FRANCE

Ooh la la indeed. Matt Dawson said this would be the year of the off-load and France just might prove him right. Their fluid passing and handling skills proved the fiasco against Australia is long forgotten - they were more clinical in the first two minutes than they were all November. Scrum-half Morgan Parra set the pace for the whole team and it was testament to Scotland that they didn't score 50 points. After week one, Les Bleus are the side to beat.

WEEK ONE MARK: A+

IRELAND

Stuttering Ireland really missed their injured players but that is no excuse for the casual sloppiness in Rome - eight knock-ons in the first half tells its own story. A once well-oiled machine is beginning to rust with age and the side need to go back to basics instead of trying to score off every phase. The cool head of Ronan O'Gara prevented disaster but a repeat performance against France could be humiliating.

WEEK ONE MARK: C

ITALY

The maestros of forcing the opposition to play their way prevented the Irish settling into any rhythm - it so nearly paid off. Alberto Sgarbi and Mirco Bergamasco showed enough of a threat out wide to make it not all about the tight five but it still seems their defence, not attack, will win them games. Their reliance on the set-piece may not work so well against specialists England, but organisation makes them so difficult to break down.

WEEK ONE MARK: B+

SCOTLAND

Major question marks over the scrum. A stone a man heavier and still bulldozed at the Stade de France, which raises doubts over the tight five's technique. Euan Murray's confidence - once considered the best tighthead scrummager in the Northern Hemisphere - will be shot. But no shame in losing to a rocket-fuelled French team and they still scored three tries. Should be considered serious Triple Crown contenders after yet another heroic defensive display.

WEEK ONE MARK: B

WALES

Squeaky-bum time for Warren Gatland. Ominous that his side couldn't rise to the occasion of a Friday night in Cardiff against the old enemy - and a trip to Murrayfield doesn't make life any easier. Stephen Jones, Mike Phillips and Jamie Roberts played like sleeping Lions rather than the British variety, and they need their senior players to step up. Morgan Stoddart broke his hand and sees a specialist today.